Romulo Betancourt
Ernesto Rómulo Betancourt Bello ( Guatire , February 22 1908 - New York , September 28 1981 ) was from 1945 to 1948 and from 1958 to 1963 president of Venezuela . Contents * 1 Student Leader * 2 Exile * 3 Co-Founder Accion Democratica * 4 First term as president * 5 Restoration of democracy * 6 Second term as president * Opposition 7 * 8 Elections 1963 * 9 Later Life * 10 Books Student Leader Born into a middle class family, Betancourt spent some time studying at a university. In 1928 he organized a liberal student and participated in demonstrations against the regime of Juan Vicente Gómez . He was arrested and imprisoned several weeks. After his release, he joined again with the protesters. Betancourt week in 1930 off to Costa Rica . Exile In Costa Rica Betancourt took part in the building of the Communist Party there. He was even briefly a member of the Partido Comunista de Costa Rica (Communist Party of Costa Rica, PCCR). In 1935 he founded the Organización Venezolana (OV) on. In 1936 he returned secretly returned to Venezuela . He lived in hiding until 1939 when he again fled abroad. In 1941 the government agreed to allow him to return to Venezuela. Cofounder Accion Democratica In 1941 Betancourt was co-founder of the Social Democratic Accion Democratica (AD). The AD, a moderate reformist and anti-communist party, turned against the military dictatorship and sought democratic elections . In 1945 locks Betancourt and AD'ers joined a group of left-wing officers who staged a coup that year and formed a transitional government. First presidential term The military junta appointed Betancourt transitional president, in October 1945 . Until February 1948, he remained in power. During his first term as president he introduced many social reforms and ensured that the Venezuelan state majority shares acquired in large foreign companies. End 1947 were democratic elections held by universal suffrage. The writer Rómulo Gallegos of the AD won the elections and was installed as president. In November 1948, brought an end to the democratic process when a group of soldiers under Marcos Pérez Jiménez and Carlos Delgado Chalbaud seized power. The constitution was inactivated and 1958 did the military to maintain itself. Rómulos Gallegos and Betancourt lived in exile since the coup, including in the United States . Restoration of democracy In January 1958 brought an end to the dictatorship. General Marcos Perez Jimenez fled abroad, and a new interim junta wrote elections before the end of 1958 . Betancourt was a candidate and killed the head of the junta, Admiral Larrazabal, and the Christian Democratic leader Rafael Caldera. Second term as president The elections were won by the end of '58 Betancourt. In February 1959, he was installed as president of the republic. In 1960 , two important decisions were taken by the Betancourt government: a state was established, the Corporación Venezolana del Petróleo (Petroleum Company of Venezuela), to control the oil. It was also, through the intercession of Venezuela, OPEC established (Organization of Petroleum Producing Countries), along with Kuwait , Iraq , Saudi Arabia and Iran . Under Betancourt large estates of big landowners were expropriated. The landowners received large compensation. Betancourt had built many schools during his presidency and improved health care. The so-became. Adopted "Betancourt doctrine. According to this doctrine Venezuela should not enter into relations with countries through a coup leaders came to power. This meant that for example, no contacts with Cuba were established. Opposition Although Betancourt democratic politics led by moderate reforms, there were also opponents. For some reforms did not go far enough, some of them focused guerrilla groups such as the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional (National Front of the Liberation Forces, Faln). When it became clear that many communists were members of the Faln, Betancourt had arrested the communist parliamentarians and he banned the Communist Party of Venezuela . It later transpired that the Faln received financial support from Fidel Castro . There were also people who found Betancourt too radical, including the dictator of the Dominican Republic , Rafael Trujillo . Trujillo feared that supporters of Betancourt in his country would seize power and would establish a democracy. Supporters of Trujillo committed on June 24 1960 a failed assassination attempt on Betancourt. Elections of 1963 On 1 December 1963, there were democratic presidential elections. Over 90% of the electorate cast their votes. Despite threats that the elections would be disrupted, they went quiet. Raúl Leoni, candidate of Betancourt's AD was elected president. Later Life After the elections Betancourt withdrew. He lived until 1972 in Switzerland. After his return in 1973 he became a senator for life and thus rewarded for his achievements. On September 28, 1981, he died in the Doctors Hospital in New York . It was thanks to Betancourt, AD, Rafael Caldera and COPEI that Venezuela is one of the most stable countries in Latin America has become. Book * Rómulo Betancourt and the tranformation of Venezuela by: Robert Jackson Alexander ( 1981 ) Category:President of Venezuela